French Literature Reviews - 2026

What is narratology?
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

What Is Narratology?: Questions and Answers Regarding the Status of a Theory (Narratologia, 1)

Tom Kindt, Hans-Harald Müller
Walter de Gruyter, Inc.
December 2003

Narratology emerged as a distinct branch of literary study in the mid-twentieth century, heavily influenced by structuralist approaches to language and narrative. Scholars in this field seek to identify and classify the universal structures, techniques, and conventions that govern storytelling across various media and genres. The foundational work of theorists like Gérard Genette and Tzvetan Todorov established formal models for analyzing plot, time, and focalization. Over subsequent decades, the discipline expanded beyond its structuralist origins, engaging with cognitive science, cultural studies, and post-classical methodologies to address broader questions about how narratives function and how readers interpret them.

Readers interested in literary theory, structuralism, and the systematic analysis of narrative structures may find this volume relevant. Tom Kindt and Hans-Harald Müller explore fundamental questions concerning the definition, scope, and theoretical coherence of narratology as an academic discipline. The study engages with ongoing debates about the methodology and boundaries of narrative analysis, examining how narratological concepts are formulated and applied within literary scholarship.